Spout structure



Feb. 18, 1941. s. o. CONNER SPOUT STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 20, 1938 INVENTOR Guy 0. C onn er Patented Feb. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT oF-Fics' X SPOU'I' s'rauo'mim q 'Guy 0. Conner, Wheeling, W. Va, alsignor to.

Wheeling Steel Corporation, Wheeling, W. Va., acorporation of Delaware Application September 20, 1938, Serial No. 230,720 2 5 Claims.

particularly spout structures for containers. In certain of its more specific aspects the invention relates to spout structures especially adapted for use with sheet metal shipping containers. Still more specifically, the invention has to do with spout structures especially adapted for use with coated containers, which spout structures ,ers and spouts usedtherewith are coated with various metallic coating materials which are applied by dipping, such, for example, as spelter, tin, terne and lead, and also with baked-on coating materials, such, for example, as synthetic' resin lacquers and other lacquers and other coating materials requiring a relatively high temperature for application.

Heretofore it has been customary to .make sheet metal spouts for shipping containers out of two parts which are soldered together. The melting point of the solder ordinarily used for this purpose is in the neighborhood of 450 F. However, most of the coating materials with which containers and spouts are now commonly coated, including those above mentioned, require subjection of the article being coated to a temperature' in excess of 450 F. or at least high enough to deleteriously affect a soldered joint. Even though the melting point of solder is in the neighborhood of 450 F., a soldered joint when subjected for a substantial period of time to a temperature of 350 F. or higher may be deleteriously afiected, as the solder softens and there is danger of slippage at the joint. The.

nearer the temperature approaches 450 F. the greater is the danger of slippage at the joint. Soldered spouts cannot practicably be coated with substances, applicable only at temperatures closely approaching or higher than the melting point of the solder.

Consequently, the soldered spouts heretofore commonly used are not suitable for coating with coating sub-stances requiring subjection of the spout to temperatures above 350 F., and I provide a spout structure obviating this disadvantage of soldered spouts. Of course, a one-piece spout would obviate the disadvantage of soldered joints, but as it is customary and desirable for This invention relates to spout structures, and

the pouring portion of the spout to extend noncoaxially with respect to the base portion of the spout, the construction of a one-piece spout of suitable shape entails v disadvantages which are commercially insurmountable. The cost of a onepiece spout of substantially the shape of a spout which can be made in accordance with the present invention is prohibitive. I provide a multi-part sheet metal spout structure adapted after permanent assembly of its parts to be coated with a substance'requiring subjection of the spout structure to temperatures so high as to deleteriously aflect soldered joints, which comprises sheet metal spout parts permanently connected together, the means permanently connecting the spout parts together being resistant to temperatures substantially higher thanstemperatures which would deleteriously affect soldered joints. For example, the

parts of my spout may be connected together by crimping or seaming or they may'be connected together by welding. Preferably one or more of the parts of the spout structure is drawn to avoid side seams,- although side seams may be employed if they are self-sufficient without soldering, or they may be welded.

I provide a novel form of spout having a sheet metal base part of relatively great cross-sec tional dimension and a sheet metal pouring part of relatively small cross-sectional dimension, the pouring and base parts being in communication and connected together in non-coaxial relationship. The base part is preferably of generally dome shape and the pouringpart' preferably enters the base part adjacent the top thereof. The spout structure preferably has adjacent its bottom or base an outwardly extending annular flange thereabout, and an annular gasket is placed'against a face of such flange, and at least part of the outer portlonof the flange is preferably turned about the outer edge of the gasket whereby to hold the gasket in place. This latter provision is of particular advantage in connection with coated spouts when the gasket is positioned against the face of the flange remote from the lip or pouring extremity of the spout so as to seal the spout structure to a container in operative position. When the relatively thin sheet metal employed in making spouts of the character in question is sharply bent after having been coated there is danger" that some of the protective coating material may come of! due to the bending, but as the bent portion of the spout is at the outer periphery of the gasket and the gasket is sealed to the container within such bent portion, the contents of the container being poured out through the spout do not come in contact with the bent portion of v the spout, and hence, even if a portion of the coating material comes of! of the spout when it Figure 1 is a central vertical cross-sectional view through a sheet metal shipping container having a spout applied thereto;

Figures 2 and 3 are detail fragmentary views to enlarged scale showing spout structures with the base flange integral with the spout body and separately connected therewith, respectively.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, there is shown in Figure 1 a sheet metal shipping container which is designated by reference numeral 2 and which may be of usual construction. Seamed to the container 2 at 3 is a top 4, which in turn has seamed thereto at 5.

an externally threaded neck 6 having an opening 1. There is provided a perforated sheet metal cap 8 whose skirt 9 is internally screwthreaded to permit the cap to screw down over the externally threaded neck 6, The cap has a circular perforation ID for receiving a portion of the spout structure presently to be described.

The spout structure shown in Figure l and designated generally by reference numeral comprises-a lower or base part |2 which is drawn out of a single piece of sheet metal and is of generally dome shape. At its lower portion the base part I2 is cylindrical and at its upper portion it is curved inwardly as at l3 to form a portion of a dome. The spout structure also comprises a delivery or pouring part I, which is of generally cylindrical shape and which is likewise drawn out of a single piece of sheet metal, both .of the parts i2 and H being free from side seams. Adjacent its outer extremity or lip the pouring part it is externally threaded as shown at i5 and is provided with a screw cap l6 whose skirt I1 is internally threaded to enable the same to be screwed down onto the pouring part II. The screw cap l6 has a suitable gasket |8, as well known in the art.

The base and pouring parts of the spout structure are'permanently connected together so as to be resistant to temperatures substantially higher than temperatures which would deleteriously affect soldered joints. As shown in Figure 1, the base and pouring parts of the spout structure are seamed together at l9 so that the metal of the parts themselves holds them together. The spout parts may be welded together either with or without a seam.

The pouring part I of the spout structure is non-coaxial with respect to the base part i2 and has its axis disposed at an angle in the neighborhood of 40 to the axis of the base part. Such a structure would be very costly and difllcult to manufacture in a single piece, but by makingthe base and pouring parts separate and connecting them together as above described 1 provide a spout which is economical to manufacture and at the same time may be coated with substances requiring subjection of the spout to relatively high temperatures. 7

.At its lower or bottom portion the base part i2 of the spout structure H has an integral outwardly extending annular flange 28 of the sheet metal of the base part and there 'is positioned against the bottom face of this flange an annular gasket 2|. The outer portion 22 of the flange 28 is turned about the outer edge of the gasket 2| whereby to hold the gasket in place. In the form shown the outer portion of the flange is downwardly and reversely turned so as to embrace the periphery of the gasket 2|. A second or upper gasket 23 lies against the upper face of the flange 20 and surrounds the body of the spout. When the spout is in operative position it is as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, the spout extending upwardly through the perforation "I inthe cap 8 and having the gasket 2| sealed to thecontainer about the opening I as shown. The cap 8 is screwed down on the neck 5 and engages the gasket 28 which lies on top of the flange 20. The spout is reversible and may assume an inverted position as shown at 24 in dotted lines in Figure 1 when the spout is not in use and particularly when the fllled container is to be shipped. When the spout is inverted the gasket 23 is sealed to the container about the opening 1 and a sheet metal disc may, if desired, be placed over the gasket 2| to close the perforation l0 in the screw cap 8, The sheet metal disc need not be employed as the spout itself is sealed by the cap l6 and hence cannot leak. If the disc is employed the cap 8 bears against the disc, which in turn bears against the gasket 2|, while if the disc is not employed the cap bears directly againstsuch gasket.

The spoutstructure is preferably coated with a suitable protective coating as above referred to before the gaskets are applied to it. When the outer portion of the flange 20 is bent to enable holding of the gasket 2| in place some of the coating material may come off. As the very purpose of the coating material is to protect the contents of the container and spout against contamination by the metal thereof, the exposure of uncoated metal of the spout would be highly undesirable if the uncoated metal were in position to come in contact with the contents. However, as the seal between the spout gasket and the container is effected interiorly of the bent portion of the spout flange, the contents of the container and spout will not come in contact with the bent portion of the spout flange, so no harm will be done even if some of the goaiing material comes off when the flange is The spout is,-of course, coated after the base and pouring parts thereof have been connected together, and the connection as above described is such that no harm is done to the spout in coatin it even at high temperatures.

Figure 2 is a fragment of a structure similar to that shown in Figure 1, showing the flange 20a as integral with the base part |2a of the spout structure and with its outer portion as shown in solid lines turned downwardly but not inwardly about the gasket 2 la, which is indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2. The periphery or a portion of the periphery of the flange may be turned inwardly beneath the basket 2|a similarly to the showing of Figure 1 and as indicated in dotted lines at 22a in Figure 2 if deemed necessary or desirable.

In the structure shown in Figure 3 the flange 20b is formed separately from the base part |2b of the spout structure and is connected to such base part adjacent its lowerextremity as, for

.in which the flange'is formed separately from'the base part of the spout and connected therewith as by welding, may be employed if desired,

' While I have 'shown and described certain present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims. 1

I claim: v

l. A- spout structure comprising a sheet metal spout member having thereabout adjacent its base an outwardly extending annular flange and an annular gasket lying against a face or said flange, at least part of the outer portion of the flange being turned about the outer edge of the gasket whereby to hold the gasket in place.

2. A spout structure comprising a sheet metal spout member having thereabout adjacent its base an outwardly extending annular flange andan annular gasket lying against the face of said flange remote from the pouring extremity of the spout structure, at'least part of the outer portion of the flange being turned about the outer edge of the gasket whereby to hold the gasket in place.

3. A spout structure comprising a sheet metal spout member having a portion of the material thereof adjacent its base turned outwardly to form an integral outwardly extending annular flange and an annular gasket lying against a face of said flange, atleast part of the outer portion of the flange being turned about the outer edge of the gasket whereby to hold the gasket in place.

4. A spout structure comprising a drawn sheet metal spout member having an integral outwardly extending annular flange and an annular gasket lying against a face of said flange. at least part of the outer portion of the flange being turned about the outer edge of the gasket whereby to hold the gasket in place. I

5. A spout structure comprising a sheet metal spout member having thereon a protective coat- GUY o. comma. 

